The Torre Guinigi is the most important tower of Lucca, Tuscany, central Italy. This tower is one of the few remaining within the city walls. Its main characteristic is its hanging garden on the roof of the tower. The tower has been donated to the local government by the descendents of the Guinigi family. The tower, built of stone and brick, is one of the most representative monuments of Lucca, its main feature is the presence of some oaks on its top.
At the beginning of the fourteenth century, Lucca was proud of the more than 250 towers and steeples of the many that enriched the city in medieval times, within a circle of walls of the much narrower. The Guinigi, now masters of the city, they wanted to refine their homes with a severe tower tree, which became a symbol of rebirth, on top of the statue of their lordship. By the will of the last descendant of the family, the tree-lined tower and the building in Via Sant'Andrea went to the city of Lucca. Among the medieval towers belonging to private families, it is the only one that has not been severed or destroyed in the sixteenth century.
The tower, located on the corner of Via Sant'Andrea and Via of the Golden Keys, rises to 44.25 m, standing out from all the buildings of the historic center. Reaching the top is allowed from 25 flights of stairs - for a total of 225 steps - quite easily in the first part but not the last, where you can only continue to rise thanks to metal ramps of small size. Hanging on the walls inside, you can admire numerous paintings depicting scenes of medieval life. From the top you can admire the city center, Piazza Anfiteatro and the scenery of the surrounding mountains, the Apuan Alps in the north-west, the Apennines to the northeast and Mount Pisano south.
On top of the tower is the hanging garden, consists of a walled box filled with earth, in which were planted seven oak trees. It is not known exactly when the garden was laid out, but in an image contained in the Chronicles of John Sercambi (XV century), one can see that among the many towers of Lucca there was one crowned with trees. It is assumed, therefore, that the plant Guinigi Tower is very old, although the oaks present today were definitely replanted in time.
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from Rome, ItalyMaurizio landmarks 25/362 | continents 1/7 | comments 6 | reviews 0 2014-02-14 12:27
Really interesting landmark :)
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